


let's talk about sex

by eddiefuckinkaspbrak



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Intimacy, Light Angst, M/M, Meet-Cute, Oblivious Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Smut, eddie just wants to feel sexy, richie is right there and willing to help him, sex therapy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:54:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23235040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eddiefuckinkaspbrak/pseuds/eddiefuckinkaspbrak
Summary: “My boyfriend won’t have sex with me.”Eddie Kasprak is a twenty-two year old studying to be a doctor. He is also struggling to be intimate with his three year long boyfriend, Graeme. Enter in Dr Maggie Tozier, a very successful sex therapist who takes on Eddie as a client. Then he meets her son. Richie, who unlocks a lot of feelings Eddie hasn’t felt in a long time. You know where this is going….
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough/Audra Phillips, Eddie Kaspbrak/Original Male Character(s), Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Mike Hanlon/Stanley Uris
Comments: 72
Kudos: 397





	1. I - Sexy

**Author's Note:**

> a new chaptered fic that I have been working on! Please enjoy! (It’s gonna feature quite a bit of notsfw)

Eddie raised his fist and knocked on the door to Dr Tozier’s house, settling back on his heels as he looked around the porch. After much deliberation, Eddie had finally sucked up the courage to make an appointment with Maggie, hoping that she would be able to help him, or at least give him some much needed advice on his problem.

Before he could talk himself out of it, the door swung open and a smiling woman with dark brown hair answered the door, “Hello there, you must be Eddie? Do you want to come in?” She asked and Eddie swallowed before nodding his head, stepping into the house. “I know it’s a little unorthodox, working from home, but I feel it’s much more comfortable for a lot of my clients than an office would be. More private. Would you like something to drink?”

Until Maggie had spoken, Eddie hadn’t realised how dry his mouth was, so he nodded his head. Maggie smiled and disappeared for a moment, before returning with a glass of water. “T-Thanks, sorry I’ve never...never done something like this before.”

“Don’t apologise, it’s nerve wracking for someone who reaches out for the first time. It’s a sensitive and private conversation we are about to have, but I want to assure you that anything we discuss in our session is completely confidential. Four walls of trust, okay?” Eddie nodded his head and Maggie flashed him another warm smile before opening the door into what he assumed was her home office. “Shall we?”

They stepped inside and Eddie took a seat on the sofa across from Maggie. He licked his lips and took a sip of the water before placing it on the placemat on the table. There was a bit of an awkward silence, as he had absolutely no idea where to start. Was he meant to just go right in and start talking about it, or was Maggie meant to give him something to go off of? Finally, the silence became too overwhelming and Eddie just blurted it out. 

“My boyfriend won’t have sex with me.” 

Maggie blinked, but didn’t say anything, as though she was waiting for him to continue. Eddie bit his lip and sucked in a deep breath, ready to let all of his emotions and feelings out. “My boyfriend won’t have sex with me...in fact, he won’t touch me at all. He won’t even kiss me. I know that’s not normal, but I don’t know what to do, or if I’ve done something wrong?”

“How long has this been going on for, Eddie?” Maggie asked, bringing a pen to the pad that was sitting in her lap. “Don’t worry, I’m just taking some notes for your file. No-one else will see them but me, okay?” Eddie nodded his head. “So tell me, when did you two stop having sex?”

Eddie ran a hand through his hair, “It’s been...a while. I’m not sure when it really started, but it happened slowly, I guess? He would push me away when I started to initiate sex, or he would move my hand from his thigh when we were watching a movie. I thought he was just having a moment, but then it continued and got worse. Now, whenever I try to kiss him he just turns his head away. I don’t even think that it’s really about sex anymore, as I just want to cuddle my boyfriend without feeling like I’m a peice of shit.”

Maggie pursed her lips for a moment, “Eddie, I just want to make one thing clear. You are not a piece of shit. You are a very handsome young man with the world in front of you, and you should be able to be happy and enjoy life for as long as you can.” She paused. “With that said, I really want to be able to help you get to the bottom of this, if that’s something you would like?”

Slowly, Eddie nodded his head, taking another sip of water, “I’ve never felt...sexy before. I’ve always been someone who was treated like a child, even when they grew up. I’ve never really had a moment when I’ve been with someone and thought to myself, “Wow, this guy is making me really feel sexy. I feel wanted, I feel loved.” and...it hurts.”

“How long have you been with your boyfriend, Eddie?” Maggie asked, her whole attention focused on him, her comforting eyes staring right into his soul. It was...comforting. 

“Three years, we started dating my last year of High School and we ended up going to the same university. We don’t live together or anything, which I’m sort of glad about, but we see each other almost every day.”

Maggie nodded her head, scribbling some more notes down, “How did you meet?” She asked and Eddie felt an ice cold shiver run down his spine. Maggie seemed to pick up on it and leaned forward, “Eddie, this is a safe space remember, but if you feel uncomfortable you don’t need to answer the question.”

Eddie shook his head, “No- no it’s fine. I knew this question would eventually come up, but it still took me by surprise I guess.” He let out a nervous laugh. “We met through my mother. She- my mother and I have a rocky relationship. When I was in middle school I found out she lied about me having asthma and a lot of other allergies, and that she was making me take placebos to make me think I was sick.” He sipped more water. “We sort of got past it, but the edge is always there. Then...then I came out as gay and she was really pissed off about that. I made it clear that it wasn’t going to change, so she relented and said that if I was going to be with someone of the opposite sex, it was going to be someone she approved of. A few weeks later, she was introducing me to Graeme.”

“Eddie, do you feel as though your lack of intimacy with your boyfriend is because you feel like he has some connection to your mother?” Maggie asked. “I mean, your mother chose him for you, right? Do you feel that maybe you are still with him out of...obligation for your mother? “

The words swirled around in Eddie’s mind and he swallowed. He hadn’t thought about it like that...or maybe he did but was too scared to really face the fact that things with him and Graeme weren’t what he thought they’d be. “I- fuck.” He bit down on his lip, so hard that he thought it would bleed. “I- I don’t think my boyfriend turns me on.” At the admission, Eddie felt tears spring into his eyes and he sniffed. “Oh god, is there something wrong with me?”

Maggie was quick to shake her head and cross the room to sit next to him, “There is nothing wrong with you, Eddie. It’s completely normal for you to lose attraction to your boyfriend when he won’t pay you attention. It’s completely normal to fall out of love with someone.”

“I just- fuck- I just want to meet someone who makes me feel...electric and alive and...and loves me for me and all my flaws.” Eddie whispered, blowing into a tissue. “I guess I have a bit of a Cinderella complex.”

“There is nothing wrong with that either,” Maggie assured him. “Everyone deserves a chance to fall in love with someone and have that special connection. It’s something I keep telling my son, but he just doesn’t listen to me. I guess having a sex therapist for a mother really goes to ones head.” She laughed and Eddie, finally managed to laugh too.

There was only a few minutes left of the session, so Eddie wrote down some contact details for Maggie and made another appointment for the following week. They walked to the door and Eddie stepped out onto the porch, “Thanks for everything, you really helped me today.”

Maggie just smiled, “It’s my job Eddie.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “Do me a favour though. Talk to your boyfriend, if it isn’t working, you both deserve to find someone for you that does.”

Just then, a car pulled into the drive and two men slipped out, one significantly older than the other. It didn’t take Eddie long to realise that this was Maggie’s husband and son...son who was his age and...made butterflies appear in his stomach. The older man stepped onto the porch and bend down to kiss Maggie on the cheek, “You must be one of Maggie’s clients, I’m Went, her husband and this is Richie, our son.”

Eddie slowly turned his head back just as Richie stepped up onto the porch. Now that they were right next to each other, Eddie could see the significant height difference between them and he had to stop himself from popping a boner right in front of his therapist and her family. Richie was...really hot and what Eddie would have to describe as his type. His hair was a dark red and curly down to his ears, he was tall and lanky with his shirt falling to his hips and his shirt in a V on his chest. From the way the shirt was sitting, Eddie could make out the corner of a tattoo. He even had large glasses on his face, but for some reason, they turned Eddie on even more. 

“Hey, I’m Richie. Hope my mom didn’t freak you out too much?” Richie laughed, holding out his hand and Eddie almost trembled as he reached his own out to shake it. The second their hands touched, an electric shock ran up Eddie’s spine and he ripped his hand from Richie’s.

“I- I need to go, bus to catch!” Eddie stumbled over his words as he rushed down the path, cheeks bright red. “Thanks again Mrs Tozier!”

_ What, in the ever loving fuck, was that?  _

* * * * * 

Luckily, Graeme was working the late shift at the fast food place that night, which meant they wouldn’t be able to see each other until the next day at the earliest. Eddie pushed himself into his dorm, ignoring his roommate Bill’s calls and locked himself in his room. “Fuck, Fuck Fuck!”

He buried his face into his pillow, closing his eyes as though it would remove all the dirty thoughts that he was currently having about Richie Tozier from his mind. Instead, all they did was make them worse. With his eyes closed, he could see Richie in his mind, straight from memory and he let out a groan. 

Eddie shifted a little on the bed, and his crotch brushed against the sheets, making him sit up straight and look down. The tent in his pants was something he hadn’t seen in a long fucking time, thanks to Graeme and his lack of intimacy. It had been so long since Eddie had had an orgasm that the fact that he was thinking about another man, didn’t stop him from sticking his hand down his pants to jerk himself off.

He thought of Richie and his tall frame, crowding him against the wall. He thought of Richie placing his much larger hands on either side of his head as he leaned down to kiss him. He thought of Richie bringing their hips together, grinding against each other as they reached their climax. 

“Fuck!” Eddie sobbed out as he came over his hand. He was so blissed out, that he couldn’t even care that his underwear was full of come and his hand was starting to get sticky. He had no idea how long he lay there, staring at the ceiling with a doped out grin on his face.

Eventually, Eddie forced himself to go for a shower and he cleaned himself up before crawling into bed. That night, instead of dreaming of nothing...he dreamt of Richie. Maybe he felt a little bad about it, after all he hadn’t spoken to Graeme yet and it was almost like cheating, but he couldn’t help what he dreamt about. The thoughts wouldn’t leave him though as he got dressed the next morning to head to his morning shift at the coffee shop on campus. Luckily, his best friend Beverly was working with him, and Eddie knew she would know what to do.

“Wait...wait wait. You went to a sex therapist?” Bev asked as they set up the coffee machine for opening. Eddie rolled his eyes and nodded his head. “You went to a sex therapist about your lack of sex life with Graeme and then met her hot son...only to masturbate thinking about him and have a sex dream? Damn Eddie.” She laughed, pulling on her apron.

Eddie groaned, pulling his own apron on as he topped up the cakes from the back station, “Bev, you’re my best friend. You’re meant to be supportive!” He leaned over the counter. “Did I cheat on my boyfriend?”

Bev sighed and shook her head, “No Eddie, but I think you really should talk to him. I mean, you haven’t managed to have an orgasm in six months while in a long term relationship and suddenly you meet this guy and you’re popping a boner and having sex dreams about him? Did you two even speak?”

“He said hello and shook my hand?” Eddie whispered, his cheeks going flushed as he remembered the interaction. “And I freaked out and ran away. Oh god, I can never show myself at her house again, I’m going to have to find a new therapist!”

“Eddie, calm down, you’re overthinking this!” Bev sighed. “Look, you said that she helped you, right? Regardless of your attraction to her son, I think you should still see her.” She pursed her lips and looked at the clock. “We have twenty mintues until we open, what’s his name so I can look him up on Facebook?”

Eddie’s eyes widened, “What, Bev, no!” He shook his head, “You can’t do that.”

Bev laughed, “Sure we can.” She pulled out her phone and tapped his name into Facebook, her eyes widening as she turned it around so Eddie could see. “Is that him? Because if it is, damn Eddie, you need to break up with Graeme and snatch this guy up because he is freaking smoking! Minus the weird fashion sense.”

Looking at the profile picture, Eddie confirmed that it was indeed, Richie. The picture was of Richie, dressed in a ridiculous Hawaiian shirt and rainbow coloured pants on. The outfit totally clashed but Eddie still found it rather endearing, and really hot. “Oh my god Bev, what the fuck is wrong with me?”

“Nothing is wrong with you Eddie! You are completely entitled to find someone who isn’t your boyfriend hot.” Bev laughed. “Anyway, Graeme treats you like crap, you deserve way better. Next time you see RIchie, you should see if he’s single and ready to mingle, if you get what I mean.”

“Oh my god, I hate you!” Eddie laughed, with no real heat behind the words as he walked over to open the doors, preparing for a busy morning of serving coffee. 

* * * * * 

That night, Eddie made his way to Graeme’s apartment with some takeout, knocking on the door. It opened and Graeme smiled, letting him in. Normally, Eddie would try and press a kiss to his cheek, only to be rejected, but this time he didn’t, kicking off his shoes and heading to the living room. “I bought Thai!”

Graeme followed behind Eddie, a frown on his face, “What’s wrong?” He asked, making Eddie turn around with a frown of his own. “Don’t look at me like that Eddie. What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean what’s wrong?” Eddie asked, setting all the food out on the coffee table. “There’s nothing wrong.”

Scoffing, Graeme moved a little closer, “You never went to kiss my cheek. You always do that, but you didn’t, so what’s wrong?”

That took Eddie by surprise and he let out a confused laugh, “Are you serious right now?” He ran a hand through his hair. “Graeme, nothing is wrong, I’m just fed up of being rejected when I try to kiss you, so I decided to...stop? I didn’t think that would be a problem?”

“Well of course it’s a problem Eddie!” Graeme snapped, making Eddie jump. “We have a thing, and then sudden;y you stop doing the thing? Didn’t you think that would set off alarm bells in my head? What’s next, are you going to stop trying to cuddle me at night too?”

Eddie felt his throat close up and he rubbed his temple. “Yes! Because I can only take so much rejection before I break Graeme!” He forced out, standing up. “You won’t kiss me, you won’t touch me, you won’t let me touch you, you won’t have sex with me. You won’t even hold my fucking hand! I’m sorry for wanting to initiate some contact between us, I’m sorry for wanting to feel something when I’m with my boyfriend. Maybe it should be me asking you what  _ I _ did wrong?”

Silence fell over the apartment and Eddie wrapped his arms around his waist. Finally, Graeme cleared his throat, “I think you should go. I don’t really need this right now. You know I have exams and you’re not helping.”

“I-  _ I’m _ not helping?” Eddie scoffed, his voice breaking as he moved past Graeme and to the door, pulling on his shoes fast before he completely broke down. He opened the door, but before he left he called back. “Fuck you Graeme. Fuck you.”

Eddie slammed the door shut and started the trek to the bus stop that would take him home. A small part of him wondered if Graeme would follow him to apologise, to try and patch things up with him. 

Graeme never did. 


	2. II - Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Richie meet at the coffee shop. Eddie has another session with Maggie. Richie asks Eddie out for coffee to get to know each other and Eddie receives an unexpected text message.

‘Wait, hang on, repeat that last part again?” Bev asked, her jaw dropped in shock as she listened to Eddie’s recollection of the other night with Graeme. “Actually don’t, I might just throttle someone. He actually got pissed at you for refusing to attempt to kiss him, even though you knew he’d turn you don’t? What the fuck?”

Eddie shrugged, focusing his attention on cleaning down the coffee machine in preparation for opening. He hated working the morning shift, as whoever closed up the previous night never even cleaned the machine, leaving it to the morning crew. “He just...flipped,” he whispered, polishing off the metal side and dropping the cloth. “I don’t know how much more I can take Bev, I don’t see our relationship going anywhere.”

Bev dropped her own cloth and crossed the short distance to pull Eddie into a hug, “Listen, if you feel like you’re beating a dead horse with this relationship, then end it. I know you’re mother set you up, and it was part of her weird deal that if you want to be gay she chooses your partner, but that’s bullshit. You deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks Bev,” Eddie laughed, moving out from behind the counter to open the coffee shop for the morning. Almost immediately, the place was swarmed with the early morning college students, ordering their coffee to get them through the classes. God did Eddie hate working the morning shift, especially when it was just him and Beverly. 

Finally, the rush calmed down, giving the two of them the chance to catch their breath, clean up and restock. Eddie was in the middle of restocking the coffee beans when Bev dragged him backwards into the back cupboard, closing the door. “You will never believe the hot guy that just walked in here. He is just your type!”

Eddie blinked away the shock, “What the hell, Bev. You dragged me in here to tell me a hot guy walked into the coffee shop?” He asked, rolling his eyes. “We’re the only two in here, we should be out there serving!” He pulled the door open and immediately his eyes landed on the ‘hot guy’ Bev was talking about. Who was none other than his therapist’s son, Richie. “Oh my god, it’s Richie.”

“Wait, your sex therapist’s son Richie?” Bev perked up and opened the door once more, this time walking into the coffee shop and straight to the till where Richie and another boy were standing. Eddie let the door close once more, taking a few deep breaths before he too left the back room and out front to the coffee machine. 

“Hey, I know you!” A voice came from behind the counter, aimed directly at Eddie and his cheeks flushed. He looked over to where Richie was standing, leaning over the counter and staring right at him. “You were at my house the other day, with my mom. Eddie, right?” 

Eddie’s jaw dropped and he tried to connect his brain to his voice, willing him to say something. No matter how hard he tried though, nothing was coming out. Luckily, he had Bev by his side, who wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “You got that right, this is Eddie! He’s just a little tired at the moment, had a long morning! Just give us two seconds!” She grabbed Eddie’s wrist and pulled him back into the store. Luckily Richie and his friend were the only two customers they had. 

“Bev!” Eddie groaned, trying not to bang his head against the wall in both embarrassment and frustration. Why did Richie turn him into a blubbering, bumbling mess? He didn’t even know the guy, and no guy had ever had this affect on him. Ever. 

Bev shook her head, smacking him lightly across the face. “Edward. Listen to me. That guy out there has the hots for you, I could see it on his face. Now go out there and talk to him. Remember what I said this morning? You deserve to be happy and you’re not going to find it with Graeme, so why not with Mr Hot outside?”

Eddie bit his lip, thinking over what Bev had said before he nodded his head, building up all the courage he had in his tiny body and left the back store, walking right up to the till. “I’m so sorry, what can I get for you?” He asked both Richie and his friend. “We have an amazing promotion on our coconut milk.”

“I’ll have a flat white, please,” Richie’s friend ordered, taking a step back and looking at Richie for a second. Richie glared at him back before turning to Eddie, smiling as he leaned over the counter once more. 

“Sorry about him, Stan isn’t himself until he has his flat white.” Richie laughed. “Why don’t you make me your favourite drink? I’m always one for a surprise.” He grinned and Eddie had to stop himself from flushing. He needed to remember that he was still in a relationship and flirting with someone else is still sort of considered cheating. 

Instead of replying, Eddie quickly made up Stan’s flat white and then Richie’s drink, which was a caramel macchiato. “Can we not talk about my embarrassing introduction at your house the other day? I swear I am not usually that much of an idiot.” He explained, adding the whipped cream to the drinks. “Have these on the house, as an apology for the really bad service.”

“Add your number into that mix and you have a deal,” Richie grinned and Eddie bit his lip, feeling his heart sink. Richie seemed to pick up on his change in mood and he tilted his head to the side. “Did I come on too strong? I’m sorry, sometimes my mouth just runs away from me.”

Quickly, Eddie shook his head, “No! No that’s...that’s not it at all I swear. It’s just...I have a boyfriend. That’s why I was seeing your mom, I needed her advice on my relationship. I- I don’t want to lead you on.” Behind him, he heard Bev let out a groan and a bang. That, mixed with the disappointed look on Richie’s face, made Eddie’s stomach drop. “But...what about being friends? Friends can exchange numbers…”

Richie’s face broke into a smile and he grabbed a napkin, scribbling his digits onto the paper and sliding it across the counter. “I gotta go, I have class in ten minutes but text me, yeah?” He winked and grabbed his drink, following Stan out of the coffee shop with one final wave. 

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck

* * * * * 

“So what happened when you spoke to Graeme?” Maggie asked, leaning a little closer to Eddie who sat on the other side of the room. He had booked another session with her the day after the fight with Graeme. “You can tell me anything, you know that Eddie. Safe place, remember?”

Eddie sighed, nodding his head. “I decided that I didn’t want to try anymore, knowing that he would just turn me away, but when I did he got mad. He said that it was ‘our’ thing.” He felt tears fill his eyes just thinking about it, about the way that Graeme’s words had made him feel. “He was so mad.”

Maggie frowned, “Eddie, I know I’m not really meant to give personal advice, but coming from a mother? If my son’s boyfriend treated him like that, I know I would want him out of his life as fast as possible. No-one deserves to be treated like that.” She stood up and moved across the couch to sit next to Eddie. “You’re young, smart, the whole world at your feet. You really want to be in a relationship with someone who thinks that being rejected is a sign of a good relationship?”

“No…” Eddie whispered, shaking his head. “But I also don’t want my mother to find out I want to break up with him. If she finds out, she’ll drag me back to Derry kicking and screaming.” It might have sounded a bit dramatic, but Eddie knew that his mother would be right at his door the moment she found out that Eddie and Graeme were no longer a thing. “She is...crazy like that.”

“I can believe that,” Maggie nodded. “Yet, you aren’t a minor anymore, and she doesn’t control who you are in a relationship with. One day, she’s going to have to realise that you are your own person and she has to let you live your own life.”

Eddie wanted to tell Maggie that she was wrong, and that Sonia was nothing like any other mother in the world. He wanted to tell her that she was a complete psychopath and there would be nothing stopping her from locking her up in the basement of his childhood home when she found out he wasn’t with Graeme anymore. He didn’t say any of that stuff though, as the timer went off to signal the end of their session. He smiled and stood up, “I know I need to talk to him, I’m just...still really mad. I don’t want to be the person who always has to cave first.”

Maggie shook her head, putting her pen and pad away, “Eddie, listen to me, the sooner you tell Graeme how you feel, the sooner you get out of a bad relationship and are one more step to a happy life.” She stood up and Eddie followed her to the door, “Will I see you next week?”

Eddie nodded his head, stepping out of her office but not without glancing from side to side to make sure Richie wasn’t anywhere to be seen. When the ghost was clear, he waved goodbye to Maggie and headed to the bus stop. Once he was on the bus, he pulled out his phone, finally typing out a message to Richie.

_ I’m glad I didn’t embarrass myself in front of you again. - Eddie _

**Another session with my mom? Shame, I’d have liked to see you again. As friends of course. - Richie**

Eddie’s cheeks flushed once more as he knew Richie didn’t mean that in a friendly way, at least a part of him hoped that was the case. He felt awful, almost as bad as Graeme for having thoughts about another man. Yet, it didn’t stop him from responding. 

_ I’d have liked to have seen you again too. - Eddie. _

Before Richie could respond, Eddie was at his stop and he hopped off the bus, heading into his apartment and throwing himself onto his bed. That was when his phone pinged with a new incoming message. He paused, hand hovering over the device for a few seconds before he shook away the feeling and opened the text, his heart leaping into his throat as he read the contents. He frowned at himself.  _ Calm down Kaspbrak, friends remember? _

**Meet me for coffee in twenty minutes? - Richie.**

With a quick message back that he would be there, Eddie threw himself off of his bed and quickly changed into something more suitable for a coffee meet up. He wasn’t going to call it a date, as it wasn’t a date. It was just two people, meeting up for coffee and getting to know one another. Nothing wrong with that. 

Richie had texted him the address of the coffee place, and Eddie was pleased to see it was a different place to where he worked. As much as he liked the place, he didn’t want to be there when he wasn’t working, as his colleagues would more than likely try and convince him to work for them. 

He arrived a few minutes before Richie, but instead of heading on inside, he waited by the door. When Richie appeared round the corner, he grinned, waving in his direction until he stood in front of him. “Heya, Eds. Fancy meeting you here.”

“Eds?” Eddie questioned, as Richie opened the coffee shop door and they headed inside. This place was different from regular coffee shops, as it worked through table service. They took a seat and Eddie noticed that Richie was grinning from ear to ear. “What?”

“Nothing,” Richie shook his head, his curly hair falling into his face. “Eds is a nickname, I like nicknames, and I couldn’t help but give you one,” he explained and Eddie tried his hardest not to blush, instead feigning annoyance.

“You do know that Eddie is already a nickname for Edward, right?” He asked and Richie only grinned in reply. They were interrupted then by the barista, who had approached them to take their order. Richie ordered a regular Americano, and Eddie ordered his usual caramel macchiato. 

Once the barista left to make their drinks, Richie leaned back against his chair, the smile still on his face. “So, Eds, tell me about yourself. I’m dying to get to know you.” 

For a moment, Eddie was frozen. He had no idea what to say, how to start with his insane life story. Finally, he found a good place to start, “I was born in a small town called Derry, in Maine. It was uh, full of people who were very judgemental, and if you did something everyone knew about it. I couldn’t do anything, or go anywhere without someone telling my mother. It was a living nightmare.”

“Your mother sounds like quite a dream,” Richie laughed sarcastically. “Go on, sorry. I’m listening, I swear.”

Eddie laughed, brushing him off. “It’s fine. She’s uh, not exactly the nicest person in the world. She never used to be like that though, it was only when my dad died that she really flipped. I think losing him was a turning point for her and she just...lost a little bit of herself. Not even I was good enough to keep her sane anymore.”

Richie’s smile dropped off of his lips and he reached a hand out to place it over Eddie’s, squeezing a little. “Fuck, I’m so sorry. I don’t know how my mom...or even me would react if we lost my dad. He’s sort of both of our rocks. Taught me everything I know, and he loves my mom unconditionally.”

“Your mom is amazing. She has all this...knowledge and always knows what to say to me when we have our sessions.” Eddie held up a finger. “No, I’m not going to tell you what we talk about, that is private and confidential and I struggled to even tell your mother, never mind you.”

“Alright, alright!” Richie laughed. Just then, their drinks arrived and they fell into a comfortable silence. It was a few moments later that Richie broke it. “When I was younger, I wanted to be a dentist like my dad, but when I got older I realised that it wasn’t for me, that I was much more inclined to be in the entertainment industry. So I’m studying Drama and I have a part time job at a radio station. Sometimes, I’ll do stand up at the college comedy club.”

Eddie perked up at that, “You know something, I can totally imagine you doing stand up. You have that aura.” He smiled, taking another sip of his coffee. “You’ll need to let me know the next time you’re performing. I’d love to come along.”

Richie’s eyes widened just a little, “Really?” He asked, breaking into a larger smile. “Yeah, totally. I- I might be performing this weekend, but I haven’t had the call yet. If I do, I’ll let you know. Even get you and your friend from the coffee shop decent seats?”

“I’d love that!” Eddie nodded his head, leaning back into the chair. For the rest of the afternoon, the two of them talked about college, growing up and what they liked to do in their spare time. Eddie found out that Richie loved to bake, and in return Eddie told Richie of his love of drawing. The one topic they avoided talking about however, was Eddie’s current relationship. That is, until Richie finally bit the bullet and brought it up.

“So, your boyfriend. What’s he like?” Richie asked, tilting his head to the side. “You don’t need to answer if it makes you uncomfortable, I was just curious. Sometimes my mouth runs away from me.”

Eddie shook his head, “No- no it’s okay. Uh, Graeme and I were sort of set up by my mother? He comes from Derry too, and when I came out as gay my mother said that if that was how I was going to be then she would choose who I’d be with. She set me up with Graeme and we’ve been together ever since.” He shrugged. He knew there was no passion in his words when he spoke about Graeme, but he was still his boyfriend.

Richie was quiet, picking at a loose thread on his jumper. “Do you love him?” He asked, looking up at Eddie. 

That question took Eddie by surprise and he almost choked on his own saliva. “I- what? What...that’s really inappropriate,” he whispered. He shook his head and went to stand up, but Richie reached forward and wrapped a hand around his wrist. “Richie, let me go.”

“I’m sorry, fuck, that was rude of me. I shouldn’t have asked that. That’s your business.” Richie apologised and the hand that wasn’t wrapped around Eddie’s wrist ran through his hair. “Please, please sit back down and finish your coffee. Please?”

Eddie paused, but could see the sincerity in Richie’s eyes, so he nodded and sat back down. They finished their coffee’s, moving away from the touchy subject and back onto each other’s hobbies. Soon it was almost six in the evening and the coffee shop was preparing to close. They packed up their stuff and headed to the door. “I’m this way…” He pointed in the opposite direction that Richie had come from earlier. 

Richie smiled, nodding his head. “Thanks for meeting me, and not uh, leaving earlier. I’m really sorry again.” Eddie shook his head. “Let’s do this again, yeah? You’re great company Eddie, and I really want to be your friend.”

“I really want to be your friend too,” Eddie whispered, even though he knew it was a lie. Spending the afternoon with Richie gave Eddie an insight to what a real, happy relationship might be like, and fuck did he want it with him. “I’ll see you later?”

“Definitely,” Richie nodded and they both went their separate ways. Just when Eddie was a few feet away from his apartment, his phone pinged with an incoming message. He assumed it was Richie, but when he pulled his phone out, the message was from the last person Eddie expected. 

Graeme. 

Eddie. We need to talk. - Graeme. 


	3. III - Alcohol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Graeme has some shocking news which causes Eddie to call Maggie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this new chapter! There is notsfw here! Also if anyone here is struggling with anything mentioned in the fic, please know that there is always help available to you!

The nerves that Eddie was feeling when he read the message from Graeme made the feeling of nausea build up in his stomach. Normally, if Graeme wanted to talk, then normally he would call and explain what it was before they agreed to meet up. This time, the message was ominous and because they hadn’t spoken since their fight, it only made the situation more nerve wracking. 

_ Sure, I’m just heading to my apartment right now. Do you want to meet me there? - Eddie _

Two minutes after Eddie sent the text, a reply came in from Graeme, alerting him that he was on his way and would be with Eddie in about ten minutes. Eddie picked up his pace, making it back home in record time before Graeme could get there first. The last thing he needed was Graeme asking him questions about where he had been and why he was out so late. 

Graeme arrived at Eddie’s apartment a few minutes later, knocking on the door as he was familiar with the main door code. Eddie sucked in a deep breath before opening the door, smiling as softly as he could at his boyfriend. Graeme did manage a smile back as he stepped inside, kicking off his shoes and heading to the living room. “Listen, Eddie about the other day. I’m sorry about the way I acted. After you left I realised how much of an asshole I sounded like and after taking a few days to think, I believe I owe you an explanation.”

“An explanation for what?” Eddie asked, taking a seat next to Graeme on the sofa. Suddenly, all the anger he had been feeling about Graeme and his attitude melted away. It was clear that Graeme had been going through something serious. “You can tell me anything, we might not be...affectionate with one another but that doesn’t mean that I don’t care.”

Taking a deep breath, Graeme ran a hand through his hair, “This...this is really hard for me because I don’t really understand it myself. I don’t think I ever will. The thing is Eddie, the reason that I won’t have sex with you, or kiss you or any of the relationship stuff that I know you want, is because I’m just not...into it.” He let out a strangled laugh. “That makes no sense, I know it doesn’t and I know it sounds like a bullshit excuse but it’s the truth. Whenever I think of kissing you, or holding your hand or having sex it just...I just can’t do it.”

Eddie blinked, his throat closing up as his eyes welled with tears. It wasn’t every day that your boyfriend admitted he didn’t want to have sex with you or even hold you hand. “Do I- repulse you? Is that it?” He asked, wiping away the stray tears that had escaped from his eyes. He didn’t want Graeme to see him crying. 

“No, no Eddie that’s not...fuck I don’t really understand it myself.” Graeme interrupted. “You’re an amazing guy and anyone would be lucky to be with you but...that guy can’t be me. You deserve to be with someone who wants to hold your hand and kiss you and have sex with you. I just...the thought of doing any of that stuff, not just with you but with  _ anyone _ it just doesn’t appeal to me.”

They sat there in silence for a few more minutes before Graeme sighed and stood up, “I think I should go, give you some time and space to think over what I’ve said. I know it can’t be easy.” He smiled at Eddie, a soft smile before he left the apartment almost as fast as he arrived. 

Once Eddie was sure he was gone, he broke down in tears. He cried for what felt like hours into the pillow on the couch, staining it with his tears. When he had no more left to cry, Eddie moved from the couch to the shower, spending a good hour under the spray and trying to forget about the whole conversation he just had with Graeme. What did he even mean when he said that? Was it an excuse to get Eddie to break up with him or was it something else?

The only thing Eddie could think of, the only thing he knew would get him an answer, was to call Maggie. She answered on the third ring, a concerned tone to her voice. “Eddie? Is everything okay?” The second she finished her sentence, Eddie broke down, spilling everything that Graeme had said when he entered his apartment that evening. Maggie was silent throughout the whole exchange until she was sure Eddie was finished. “Okay, Eddie I need you to take a few deep breaths for me first, can you do that?”

“Y-Yeah,” Eddie stammered before following through with what Maggie asked of him. There was just something about her that soothed him. Maybe it was her motherly nature or her professionalism, but regardless, Eddie wasn’t about to start complaining. “What...what do you think?”

Maggie breathed with him before she sighed, “Eddie, what Graeme explained to you today, is completely normal for some people. There are some cases when people feel no sexual attraction to their partners at all, in these cases they are called asexual. Though, from what Graeme told you I think he is aiming more for being arosexual, a person who isn’t interested in a sexual  _ or  _ a sexual relatonship.”

Eddie was quiet, letting Maggie’s words swirl through his mind, slowly coming to terms with it. “So...he wasn’t just saying that to get away with not having sex with me?” He asked.

“I don’t know that, but I highly doubt it. From the way you described his explanation and actions, I think that Graeme isn’t really sure what he’s feeling right now. Which is completely normal.” Maggie explained. “Listen, I don’t normally do this, but I think it will be very helpful for the both of you if you bring Graeme along to your next session with me. I will sit him down, bring material for the both of you to properly help him as well as you come to terms with this.” She paused for a moment. “Now, I am also aware that you crave a physical and romantic relationship with someone, and I know this is very unprofessional of me, but as someone who really cares about you, I might seriously consider looking for someone else. Graeme is going to be very confused and it’s clear to me that you two are heading down very different paths in your lives.”

She was right, of course she was right. If what Maggie was saying was true and Graeme was Arosexual, then their relationship was no longer going to be a thing. Eddie needed that physical attention and Graeme couldn’t think of anything worse. Of course, he wasn’t about to break up with Graeme right then, he would go to the session on Thursday, listen to what Maggie had to say to them, and go from there. 

Then there was also the thing with Richie he had going on. Just at the mere thought of him made Eddie’s heart skip a beat. 

“Thank you, Maggie,” Eddie whispered eventually, his leg shaking absentmindedly. He had started to pick at a loose thread of the couch as he wrapped up the call. “For answering so late, I know you have set hours, I was just...freaking out.”

Maggie let out a light laugh, “I’m your therapist, you should be able to rely on me for these things, late at night or not.” She paused. “Though that doesn’t mean you can call me up at three in the morning, even then I would draw the line.” Both of them burst out laughing at that, easing the tension. “I’ll see you on Thursday, Eddie. Take care of yourself.”

They ended the call and Eddie stared into space for a few minutes before he picked up the phone and sent Graeme a message about attending his therapy session with Maggie on Thursday so she could explain some things to him. Thankfully, he was very open about attending, and agreed to meet him there at the designated time. The whole thing made Eddie feel a little better, yet he was still agitated. 

Against his better judgement, Eddie picked up his phone once more, this time dialing a number he had only ever texted. A few seconds later, the voice he really wanted to hear answered the phone with a chirpy “Eds!” Eddie swallowed, his heart hammering in his chest as the words spilled from his mouth. He had no idea where it was coming from, after all he was still very much with Graeme, yet the need to have Richie here with him was too much to ignore.

“Richie, would you come over? I could really use a friend.” 

* * * * * 

Richie was at Eddie’s apartment in record time. It was almost as though he hadn’t got onto the bus to head back to his suburban home. Eddie smiled as he buzzed him in and then let him into his apartment, giving him a short tour around the place. “It’s not much, but it’s mine and I love it.” He took a seat on the sofa and patted the empty space next to him, which Richie filled immediately. “Thank you for coming over, I know you were probably heading home.”

“It’s fine, we’re friends now right?” Richie asked and Eddie nodded his head. “As far as I’m aware, friends care about each other and come to the other's aid when they really need them.” He looked back towards the kitchen. “Do you want a drink?”

Eddie pursed his lips, he really shouldn’t introduce alcohol between them, but Richie was already clambering over the sofa with his gangly limbs and opening the fridge. He grinned, pulling out the bottle of wine that was sitting in there and pulled out two glasses, pouring them a drink each and carrying them over to the sofa. “Richie, you are such a bad influence!” He laughed, but accepted the glass all the same. 

Richie rolled his eyes, clinking his glass with Eddie’s and winking at him, “I’m not really, I’m just a guy out to have a good time and what's a good time without a little bit of alcohol?” He asked and then stopped short, “Damn, I sounded like a total asshole there didn’t I? Believe me, I’m not planning on getting you into bed tonight, unless that is what you want- I’m just going to shut up now.”

“You’re insane,” Eddie giggled, covering his mouth a little, taking a sip of the drink. His heart was hammering in his chest. Richie was basically telling him if Eddie wanted to jump into bed with him he would be just as willing. The thought of receiving any kind of physical attention was tempting, especially with it coming from Richie Tozier, but Eddie squashed his feelings down and grabbed the remote to the sound system. “Dance with me?”

With a grin, Richie slipped off of the couch as Eddie pressed play on the remote, allowing the beat to “Do You Think About Me” by Captain Cuts & Zookeeper came on and Eddie started swaying his hips to the beat of the music. Richie joined him and soon they were moving around the living room, dancing and giggling like they were teenagers once more. Eddie never had this kind of fun with Graeme, he always thought it was immature, but here Richie was, dancing with him as though it was the best thing in the world and Eddie was sure he felt his heart leave his chest. 

As they danced, they talked, getting to know each other a little more. Eddie found out that Richie used to be a huge Dungeons and Dragons fan, which was something Eddie was into and Eddie admitted to Richie that he loves all things Disney. What surprised Eddie then, was that Richie had agreed, stating that it was his dream to go to Disneyworld but his parents could never afford it. The more Eddie got to know about Richie, the more things he found he had in common with him. 

More songs passed and before they knew it, the whole bottle of wine was gone and it was almost one in the morning. Yet, Eddie wasn’t ready for the night to be over, not by a long shot. He didn’t want to say goodbye to Richie and curl up in his bed alone once again, just like he did every night. Just then, the music changed once more, this time a much slower song coming through the speakers. Eddie’s eyes shot up to meet Richie’s who was setting his glass to the side and offering Eddie his hand. 

Without any hesitation, Eddie accepted, letting Richie pull him into his arms as the song moved into full flow with Richie spinning Eddie around the living room as though they were on ‘Dancing with the Stars”. The song that was playing through the speaker happened to be one of Eddie’s favourite songs, “Get You the Moon” by Kina. Richie once again, spun Eddie under his arm and then back to his chest before dipping him to the floor. 

Eddie gasped as Richie pulled him back up, blinking as their faces ended up a few inches away from one another. All it would take was Eddie pushing up on his toes just a little bit for their lips to meet, or Richie tiling his head down. Eddie wasn’t sure how long they stood there, just staring at each other, but soon Eddie’s conscience caught up with him and he cleared his throat, “I- fuck...I think I need to sleep.”

Richie blinked before he nodded and stepped back, his arms falling away from Eddie as he reached to his hair, “I’m sorry, that was weird,” he nervously chuckled. “I should go. We uh, we should get coffee again this week, if you’re free?” Richie pulled on his shoes at the same time, as though he couldn’t get out of Eddie’s place quick enough. 

“I- yeah of course,” Eddie nodded his head, biting his lip. He wanted to stop Richie from leaving, but he knew he couldn’t. The second the door slammed shut, Eddie winced, staring at his now empty and very messy apartment. He was also stone cold sober by that point, his mind swimming with what could have been. Deciding to clean the place up in the morning, Eddie retired to bed, stripping down to his boxers and staring at his ceiling. 

No matter how hard he tried, Eddie couldn’t get to sleep and he couldn’t get the thought of almost kissing Richie out of his head. Before he could even register what was happening, Eddie felt himself get hard in his boxers and a soft whimper left his lips. He never could manage to get himself off when he thought about Graeme, but now with the mere thought of Richie, Eddie was hard and leaking. 

Instead of overthinking it, Eddie dipped his hands into his boxers, wrapping his fingers around his length and giving it two tentative pumps. The pleasure was almost overwhelming and Eddie had to bite his lip to stop him from crying out loud enough to wake the whole block. His heart hammered against his chest as he pushed his boxers down his hips and kicked them off his legs, leaving him completely exposed under the sheets. Thinking about nothing but Richie, the way he smiled, the way his hands fit against Eddie’s waist when they were dancing just...everything about him, Eddie picked up the pace of his hand, tossing his head back in pleasure. 

His toes curled up against the fitted sheet over his mattress and his free hand ran through his hair. Eddie imagined Richie being in the bed with him, running his tongue over his skin, down his neck to his nipples. He imagined Richie teasing the little buds until Eddie was a shaking sobbing mess underneath him before he finally moved on, his hands following closely behind his tongue to his thighs, spreading his legs open. 

“Fuck,” Eddie breathed into the air, swiping his thumb over the tip of his cock, making his hips jerk up off of the bed. His mind wandered further, to Richie spreading his legs and burying his face between his asscheeks, eating him out with every ounce of energy he had in his body. With one hand he pinned Eddie’s stomach to the bed, to prevent him squirming too much, bringing him closer to the edge. At the same time as his thoughts, Eddie’s hand was bringing him closer and closer to that peak, his body sweating and aching with the need to let go. 

The climax came when Eddie’s imagination thought of Richie pushing two fingers in alongside his tongue, curling them and pressing against his prostate. The second that thought entered Eddie’s head, his orgasm hit and he was coming all over his hand and the sheets. Panting and shaking, Eddie slowly moved his hand away from his now softening cock and grabbed his boxers with his clean hand, wiping away any excess come that was on his hand and thighs. 

“Oh my god, I can’t believe I just did that,” he breathed, staring at the ceiling in shock. Eventually, Eddie slowly crawled out of his bed and into the shower, cleaning his whole body of the sticky substance, trying to keep his thoughts away from a certain brunette. The last thing he wanted was to get off  _ again _ in the shower. He wasn’t sure his heart could take it. 

Once his shower was over, Eddie dried off and changed into a pair of shorts before changing his bedsheets. Now that everything was clean and decent to sleep in, Eddie climbed back into his bed and curled up into a ball. He needed to get some sleep, it was almost three in the morning and he was lucky to not have work early that morning. 

When he closed his eyes, all he could see was Richie’s face in his mind and it was at that moment that Eddie knew, he was well and truly fucked. 


	4. IV - Break-Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Graeme attends a session with Eddie and Bev has some surprising news.

“You must be Graeme, please sit down,” Maggie smiled and pointed to the sofa that Eddie was already seated on. Eddie smiled up at him, wanting to make him feel as comfortable as possible as he knew he’d be feeling completely out of place here. “There is nothing to worry about, this is an open space but it is also completely confidential.” 

Graeme looked between the two and nodded his head, moving to sit on the sofa next to Eddie. He looked back and forth between Eddie and Maggie blinking a few times before he spoke, “So what happens here? Do we just sit and stare at each other for an hour before we go home?”

Maggie laughed and shook her head, “No, of course not, but if that is what people want to do during a session then that's what we do. It’s all about you and what you want to talk about.” She looked at Eddie, “Do you want to make this session about Graeme or is there anything you want to talk about?”

Shaking his head, Eddie left the floor to Graeme, hoping he would use this to learn more about what they had discussed the other day. Graeme cleared his throat and looked directly at Maggie, letting out a breath, “Eddie and I had a talk a few days ago about our relationship...about how I’m not really interested in being in a relationship or sex or any of that intimate stuff really.” He looked down at his hands and then back up. “I guess I’m just wanting to know if what I’m feeling is...normal?”

“Of course what you’re feeling is normal, Graeme,” Maggie assured, leaning forward with a gentle smile. “Just because you don’t want to be in a sexual relationship, or even a sexual one at that doesn’t mean you’re not normal. I know it might seem weird and you might be feeling a little different from the rest of your peers, but Graeme you shouldn’t feel forced into doing something that makes you feel uncomfortable.”

At that, Graeme blinked a few times, shock clear in his expression, “You make it sound so...easy? I have no idea what it is I’m feeling and I come speak to you and I feel as though I shouldn’t care about what other people think of me.” He laughed stressfully. “Is there even a word for what I’m feeling?” He asked, looking from Maggie and then to Eddie. 

Maggie nodded her head, “Of course there is. The term for what you’re feeling is called aromantic. The definition is; “ someone who doesn't experience romantic attraction”, which is exactly what you described to me just now.” She scribbled some notes in her book. “You shouldn’t have to conform to what other people say or do, you deserve to be your own person and live your own life.”

“It’s kind of hard to be myself when both my mom and Eddie’s mom are breathing down our throats asking how our relationship is going,” Graeme shrugged and looked at Eddie. “I mean, Sonia is on the phone almost everyday checking if we’re still together and it makes me uncomfortable. I’m sorry Eddie, but it does.”

Eddie shook his head, “You don’t have to apologise, Graeme. I know that this is...weird and I know that you probably hate the fact that your mother made you date me because of my mother. I just wish...wish you’d told me. I don’t care that you’re not into relationships, that’s fine, but I am. I want to be with someone who loves me and who wants to be with me.”

Graeme fell silent, looking at his feet, “I know I should have told you before now and I never should have treated you the way I did. It was an asshole thing to do and I am really sorry for that. I do feel like a grade A asshole.” 

The three of them fell into a silence and Eddie glanced at the clock to see that the session was almost over. He let out a breath and smiled a little at Graeme before standing up. “Thanks a lot for this Maggie, I really think it was helpful for the both of us.” He looked at Graeme once more before he nodded his head and stood up also. Maggie saw them to the door and they made their way out onto the porch. Graeme had driven them that day, so they didn’t have to take the bus. “Graeme?”

“Hm?” Graeme asked, stopping a few feet away from the driver's seat of the car. “Everything okay?”

“I think we should break up,” Eddie blurted out, no longer afraid of what would happen if he spoke his mind. There was nothing holding him back anymore, and he was done with being in a relationship that was going nowhere. “I know that both of our parents will freak out, but I don’t care anymore.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I need to find a relationship with someone who loves me, and you- you can’t do that. I also know it’s not your fault. I still want to be your friend, we have been a part of each other’s lives for so long and I don’t want that to change. We get on well, just not...romantically.”

Graeme was silent for a few moments, the only sound being his keys jingling in the wind as they hung from his fingers. Eventually, he nodded his head, “I agree. Us being together is stupid, since we are both looking for different things. Yeah, our parents are going to freak, but what if we just...didn’t tell them we were broken up until we were sure they couldn’t do anything to ruin our degrees?”

“Like...pretend we were still together until we graduate?” Eddie asked, wanting to make sure he had gotten the right side of the stick. Graeme nodded his head enthusiastically and opened the car allowing them both to slide into their seats to head back to their apartments. “I’m really glad you’re okay with this, I was starting to panic when you were silent for a while.”

“I mean, I don’t blame you, I haven’t exactly been a very nice boyfriend since well...ever. I really am sorry for whatI said to you the other week there, it was very much out of line and I apologise. I never should have said that I thought you trying to be affectionate and me pushing you away was our form of love.” Graeme focused on the road, but Eddie could see by the way his shoulder was slumped that he did feel bad about it. 

Eddie smiled at him, this time a much more genuine smile and he rested his head against the seat, finally a huge weight off of his shoulders. “It’s alright Graeme, I forgive you.” 

* * * * * 

“Hey Eddie, can I talk to you about something?” Bev asked once she arrived to open up the coffee shop. It had been a few days since the break up, and Eddie hadn’t spoken to her yet or told her that Graeme and he were no longer a thing. Thought, it seemed that Bev had something much more important to say. 

“Yeah, of course Bev,” Eddie smiled and led her to the supply closet, closing the door behind them. They were half an hour away from opening so they had plenty of time to talk about whatever was on his best friends mind. “What’s going on? You look freaked out?”

Bev ran a hand through her red hair, biting hard on her lip as she looked back and forth, “Eddie, I have some really big news and I am freaking out about it. I don’t know what to do.” She slid down the wall, pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her knees. Eddie frowned and sat down next to her, a worried expression on his face. He wasn’t going to say anything, until Bev spoke up when she was ready. Eventually, she let out a shaky breath and turned to look at him. “I’m pregnant.”

Out of all the things Eddie expected Bev to say, that was not one of them. His jaw dropped a little in shock and his eyes dropped to her, still very flat, stomach and then back up to meet her tear filled eyes. “You- when did you find out? How far along are you?”

“Six weeks,” Bev whispered, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. “I found out a few days ago, when I kept throwing up. That’s why I missed work on Wednesday, I was visiting the doctors. I thought I had eaten something really bad, but then the doctor asked me to take a pregnancy test. I thought for sure there was no way I could be pregnant as Ben uses contraception and I’m on the pill but...it came back positive.” She swallowed and wiped away more tears. “One ultrasound later and yeah, there is a baby growing in my belly.”

Eddie wrested his head on her shoulder, his hand on her knee and they sat there in silence for about five minutes before Eddie spoke up once more. “Does Ben know?”

Shaking her head, Bev turned around and broke into a sob in Eddie’s shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, soothing her. “I’m too scared to tell him. We’re so young, how the hell do we raise a baby? There is no way I’m getting rid of it, I can’t...but what if he thinks I should and he leaves me?”

“He’s not going to leave you!” Eddie exclaimed, shaking his head. “Ben loves you more than anything in the world. He was so in love with you before he even asked you out. I remember he asked me about ways to woo you because I knew you so well. He’d be over the moon that you’re having his baby.” He sat up and turned to face her. “You need to tell him, not just because he’s the father but because you can’t do this on your own. I’ll help, of course I will, but Ben needs to know.”

Bev looked at the ground and then nodded her head. She knew that Eddie was right about everything. “You’re too smart for your own good, Kaspbrak,” she laughed, leaning back against the wall. “So, what’s been happening with you? Have you been seeing that hot guy who came into the shop?”

“Graeme and I broke up,” Eddie finally admitted to her, wanting to change the subject a little. “Like for real, we’re no longer an item.”

“Holy shit!” Bev spat, her eyes widening. “You guys are actually...done? Is it because of the fight or did something else happen? Come on Eddie, spill the beans!”

Eddie laughed and sighed, taking a deep breath before he broke into the whole story from the beginning. He told her about the talk he and Graeme had, he told her about the session and then finally about the break up outside of Maggie’s house. “Also, to answer your questions, yes. I have been seeing the hot guy. His name is Richie and he is...something else.” Bev raised an eyebrow, so Eddie continued. “I invited him over to my house the other night there, before Graeme and I broke up. We got drunk and danced and...almost kissed. We didn’t though but god did I want to.”

“Damn, Eddie,” Bev let out a breath, shaking her head until she broke into a smile. “Wait- you’re single now! You can ask him out on a date and actually kiss him if you want to because there is no more Graeme! No more guilt! You can be happy!” She clapped her hands together and Eddie was happy that he had made her smile. “This is going to be great for you, I can just feel it.”

Just then, their alarms went off to let them know it was time to open up the shop and the two of them sighed before slipping off of the floor. They checked over each other, making sure they were looking good for customers before they headed out of the supply closet to begin their day, knowing they had each other for support, no matter what. 

* * * * *

“So, what’s your favourite colour?” Richie asked Eddie over the phone on their nightly calls. Since they couldn’t see each other every day thanks to work and university, they had taken to calling each other or even skyping when they were awake enough. Eddie rolled his eyes and let out a snort, “Come on, it’s a normal get to know you question, Eds.”

Eddie sighed, moving onto his stomach as he put the phone on loudspeaker, “What have I told you about calling me that?” He asked, even though the nickname made him grin from ear to ear. “My favourite colour is light blue, since you asked. What’s yours?”

“Orange,” Richie answered immediately. “It’s a chaotic colour, just like me. I am a chaotic person and the more you get to know me, the more you’ll see exactly how chaotic I am.” He laughed down the phone, a hearty laugh that made Eddie giggle along with him. “You have a cute laugh.”

A blush rose up on Eddie’s cheeks at the words and he hid his face into a pillow, “Oh shut up you asshole, what is this, embarrass Eddie night?” He asked, running a hand through his hair. “Okay, my turn, top three favourite movies of all time.”

“Damn,” Richie hummed and Eddie could hear him tapping his finger against whatever surface he was sitting at. “Alright so, The Breakfast Club, Star Wars: A New Hope and Spirited Away because that movie is the fucking shit!” 

Eddie laughed lightly, but he had to agree, those were three strong movies. They fell into a comfortable silence, listening to each other breathe down the line. Eddie’s heart was hammering in his chest, his mouth dry as he sucked in a deep breath and spoke up, “Graeme and I broke up.”

There was a choked sound that came from the other line was a choked one and Eddie was about to hang up out of embarrassment when Richie spoke up again, “You- uh...you’re single?” Richie asked, clearing his throat. “Like- is there a reason you’re telling me this or am I reading way too into this?”

“You’re not,” Eddie breathed, turning the phone off of the loud speaker and pressing it close to his ear. “You- you’re not reading way too into it. I- I’m attracted to you and I think you’re attracted to me too...am I right?”

Richie cleared his throat and there was a rustling on the other line before his voice seemed closer, “Eddie, I am very very attracted to you, and the only reason I was keeping it to myself was because you were taken. I’m not a terrible person, and I’m certainly not a homewrecker.” Eddie could imagine the smile on Richie’s face just from his tone alone. “Does that mean I get to take you out on a proper date sometime?”

The thought of going out on a date with someone, especially Richie, made Eddie want to kick his legs in the air like a thirteen year old school girl. “Yes,” Eddie whispered into the speaker, biting on his lip to try and quench his excitement just a little bit. “Richie you- you turn me on more than anyone I have ever met before. Not even- not even my ex-boyfriend could turn me on the way you do when you smile at me.”

“That really boosts my ego Eds,” Richie laughed, but Eddie could tell his voice was strained. “Do you have any idea how hot you are? You just have to look at me and I want to shove you up against the nearest wall and kiss the shit out of you. That night at your apartment, when we almost kissed? God I wanted to kiss you so bad, but of course, not a homewrecker.”

Eddie couldn’t help but let out a very small, barely there, whimper, “Jesus Richie, it’s like...almost one in the morning and I have work. You can’t be...saying things like that to me.” He ran a hand through his hair, pulling at it just a little in an attempt to calm himself down. “I need to sleep.”

Richie laughed, “Sorry Eds. I’ll let you sleep, maybe we can go out for dinner at the weekend?” He asked and Eddie once again, bit his lip as he grinned wide. “What do you say?”

“Yeah, dinner this weekend would be really nice,” Eddie admitted before they said their goodnights, hanging up to get ready for bed. Before Eddie could put his phone on charge for the night, it lit up with a message from Richie, followed by another one, that made his cheeks heat up at the unexpectedness of it all.

**[From Richie] [01:04am]** I mean this in the most respectful way possible. 

**[From Richie] [01:04am]** But I really want to fuck you, Eds. 

* * * * *

“Hey Maggie,” Eddie smiled as he stepped into her office, taking a seat on the sofa. He was alone this time, which he was glad for as he really needed Maggie’s advice on something. Sure, he wasn’t going to tell her that he was going to be going on a date with her son, or that he wanted her son to find him sexy, as that would probably mean she wouldn’t be able to be his therapist anymore.

“Eddie, it’s good to see you again.” Maggie grinned, sitting opposite him. “How did things go with Graeme after the session? Did you have a good talk about things?”

Eddie nodded his head, leaning back against the back of the couch, “We had a chat, and we broke up. We weren’t good for each other and we both deserved better.” He smiled a little. “We’re still going to be friends, and because of our parents, if any of them ask we’ll just say we’re still dating.” 

Maggie hummed, jotting some things down on her book before she looked back up at him. “That’s good Eddie, as I keep saying to you, you deserve to be happy and so does Graeme. Of course I would advise against lying to your parents, but if you think it’ll make things easier for the both of you then who am I to go against you.”

“I know, but it’s just until we’re sure they can’t interfere in our college degrees,” Eddie explained and then let out a breath. “The thing is, there is this guy that I- that I really like,” he admitted. “He asked me out on a date but I- I have no idea how to be sexy. I’ve never been on a date before, at least with someone who I know is into me as much as I am with them. I just...I need advice.”

As Maggie launched into some advice on how Eddie needed to just be himself and if the guy he was seeing liked him that much, he was going to be sexy enough for him, what Eddie didn’t know was Richie had stopped by the door and had overheard everything he had said. 


End file.
